Rating: 
Summary: The Legacy
Review: As a favor for his cousin, Joseph Antonelli leaves his Portland home and goes to San Francisco to defend a young black man who is accused of killing a United States Senator. The young man is a clean cut pre-med student at Berkeley. Antonelli believes that one of the Senator's powerful enemies is behind the murder.
D.W. Buffa has become one of my favorite legal thriller authors. His descriptions of San Francisco--which he seems to think is one of the best cities in the country--are vivid, and make an excellent background to this suspenseful thriller. Filled with riveting dialogue, along with quite a few surprises, I recommend this to all legal thriller fans.Highly Recommended
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as earlier Buffa works
Review: D.W. Buffa returns with another thrilling mystery following the success of The Defense and The Prosecution. Series protagonist Joseph Antonelli - "a lawyer who never lost a case he should have won, and won nearly all the cases he should have lost," defends a black student accused of murdering an United States Senator - revealing some chilling truths that were better left unrevealed. Jamal Washington is accused of killing the popular Senator Jeremy Fullerton. The police catch him fleeing from the scene of the crime minutes after the murder. It seems that the prosecution has an airtight case - fingerprints in the gun, fingerprints in the car in which the Senator is found dead - all pave way for an open-&-shut case. Antonelli faces a daunting task with evidence mounted against the accused - and he has just two factors in his advantage:- one, no one has seen the actual murder, and two, a judge who just hates the guts of the District Attorney. The more Antonelli investigates, the more he is convinced of Jamal's innocence. But he faces an uphill task to save him. Buffa portrays a convincing picture of the victim Senator, and subtly highlights the real man behind the public image - in the author's words "I know everyone's secret and I tell everyone lies" - can be said to be a common truth in many a politician. Buffa gives us an exciting mystery. After making his mark in the legal thriller arena, it is for the first time that the author has stepped into the realm of political-legal mysteries. Compared to his earlier works, especially Judgment, The Legacy is a much easier read - though steady and exciting in suspense, it is not a taut thriller. Readers looking for explosive courtroom action are bound to be disappointed, but for an enjoyable evening's read, as a satisfying "whydunit" - The Legacy is highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A CONFIDENT, COMPELLING READING
Review: Film and television actor Mark Feuerstein gives a confident, compelling reading of Buffa's fourth legal who-dun-it featuring Portland, Oregon based attorney Joseph Antonelli.
U.S. Senator Jeremy Fullerton is shot and killed while in his car in San Francisco. The night was, of course, dark and foggy. Prime suspect is a young black man, Jamaal Washington, who was wounded by police while apparently trying to escape the scene.
Fullerton was not just any senator - he was prime fodder for a presidential nomination. Politics, as we know, makes strange bedfellows - it also makes for suspenseful mystery novels. Because of the late senator's exalted position not a lawyer in San Fran wants to touch the case.
Joe Antonelli does more than touch it after he is contacted by an older lawyer in the City by the Bay who wants to help the young defendant for reasons unknown.
The mystery gets murkier as someone who claims have dynamite information about the Senator's past meets a sudden death.
Buffa's forte is courtroom scenes, and Feuerstein delivers them impeccably.
Rating:
Summary: A CONFIDENT, COMPELLING READING
Review: Film and television actor Mark Feuerstein gives a confident, compelling reading of Buffa's fourth legal who-dun-it featuring Portland, Oregon based attorney Joseph Antonelli. U.S. Senator Jeremy Fullerton is shot and killed while in his car in San Francisco. The night was, of course, dark and foggy. Prime suspect is a young black man, Jamaal Washington, who was wounded by police while apparently trying to escape the scene. Fullerton was not just any senator - he was prime fodder for a presidential nomination. Politics, as we know, makes strange bedfellows - it also makes for suspenseful mystery novels. Because of the late senator's exalted position not a lawyer in San Fran wants to touch the case. Joe Antonelli does more than touch it after he is contacted by an older lawyer in the City by the Bay who wants to help the young defendant for reasons unknown. The mystery gets murkier as someone who claims have dynamite information about the Senator's past meets a sudden death. Buffa's forte is courtroom scenes, and Feuerstein delivers them impeccably.
- Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: A CONFIDENT, COMPELLING READING
Review: Film and television actor Mark Feuerstein gives a confident, compelling reading of Buffa's fourth legal who-dun-it featuring Portland, Oregon based attorney Joseph Antonelli. U.S. Senator Jeremy Fullerton is shot and killed while in his car in San Francisco. The night was, of course, dark and foggy. Prime suspect is a young black man, Jamaal Washington, who was wounded by police while apparently trying to escape the scene. Fullerton was not just any senator - he was prime fodder for a presidential nomination. Politics, as we know, makes strange bedfellows - it also makes for suspenseful mystery novels. Because of the late senator's exalted position not a lawyer in San Fran wants to touch the case. Joe Antonelli does more than touch it after he is contacted by an older lawyer in the City by the Bay who wants to help the young defendant for reasons unknown. The mystery gets murkier as someone who claims have dynamite information about the Senator's past meets a sudden death. Buffa's forte is courtroom scenes, and Feuerstein delivers them impeccably.
- Gail Cooke
Rating: 
Summary: Love DW, but not this book
Review: I am a very fussy reader and I found The Judgement and The Defense to be really incredible novels. So I couldn't wait to get started on Buffa's newest book. I really don't like to give a bad review, but more than that I really don't like getting stuck reading a bad book. A busy professional mother, I just don't have the time to read anything "unworthy". Well, the Judgement is not up to par at all with Buffa's other books. I would relike to meet Mr. Buffa and ask him "what happened?" So I regret it, but I must give this book a bad review. Perhaps, he'll do better with the next one - no way he could do worse. Sorry Mr. Buffa.
Rating: 
Summary: exciting legal thriller
Review: In San Francisco, someone assassinates US Senator Jeremy Fullerton. The police spot a young black fleeing the scene. They fire, wound, and arrest Jamaal Washington for killing Fullerton. Surprisingly, without any obvious let alone remote connection to the accused, elderly local lawyer Albert Craven brings in Portland, Oregon attorney Joseph Antonelli to defend Jamaal. After hearing Jamaal's story on why he was there and how he ended up with the Senator's wallet, Joseph thinks the youngster is an easy fall guy taking the rap for a devious soul. Joseph quickly learns that Fullerton had presidential aspirations and built a cadre of cronies and supporters in the Bay area. A former KGB agent Andrei Bogdonovitch informs Joseph he has damaging information on the senator linking him to his former Soviet employer, but the informant is killed with an office bomb. The trial looks hopeless for the defense unless Joseph can pull off a last second Perry Mason-like miracle. LEGACY starts off as an incredible legal thriller, but loses steam when it jumps the tracks into a conspiracy tale. The story line is at its best when Joseph investigates the senator and during the trial. The personal side of Joseph that frequents the plot slows down the story line while leaving the attorney not behaving as expected. Though the eyes of the world will pass JUDGMENT that Joseph is a strong egg, the exciting tale seems just off kilter. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: A bland story about the murder of a prominent politician.
Review: Joseph Antonelli, criminal defense attorney extraordinaire, is back in D. W. Buffa's fourth legal thriller, "The Legacy." Unlike Buffa's previous efforts, this novel never comes to life. It is a slow-moving and cliche-ridden look at the corrupt practices of wealthy and amoral wheeler-dealers and politicians. In this novel, Antonelli leaves Portland, Oregon, and travels to San Francisco to defend Jamaal Washington. Washington is a young black man accused of gunning down United States Senator Jeremy Fullerton during a robbery. Fullerton was a ruthless and ambitious politician who had many enemies. Antonelli is certain that Fullerton's death was no robbery; he is convinced that a political enemy assassinated the Senator. Antonelli is determined to free the likeable Jamaal, a soft-spoken pre-med student who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Buffa writes this book as if he were doing a painting-by-numbers. He uses plot devices that we have seen too many times before. Many authors have written more compellingly about political charlatans who pretend to be altruistic, but who are really self-serving and corrupt. Antonelli's character is strangely lifeless, as is his love interest, Marissa. Neither the courtroom scenes nor the twist at the end can save "The Legacy" from being a run-of-the-mill legal thriller that is not up to Buffa's usually high standards.
Rating:
Summary: A bland story about the murder of a prominent politician.
Review: Joseph Antonelli, criminal defense attorney extraordinaire, is back in D. W. Buffa's fourth legal thriller, "The Legacy." Unlike Buffa's previous efforts, this novel never comes to life. It is a slow-moving and cliche-ridden look at the corrupt practices of wealthy and amoral wheeler-dealers and politicians. In this novel, Antonelli leaves Portland, Oregon, and travels to San Francisco to defend Jamaal Washington. Washington is a young black man accused of gunning down United States Senator Jeremy Fullerton during a robbery. Fullerton was a ruthless and ambitious politician who had many enemies. Antonelli is certain that Fullerton's death was no robbery; he is convinced that a political enemy assassinated the Senator. Antonelli is determined to free the likeable Jamaal, a soft-spoken pre-med student who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Buffa writes this book as if he were doing a painting-by-numbers. He uses plot devices that we have seen too many times before. Many authors have written more compellingly about political charlatans who pretend to be altruistic, but who are really self-serving and corrupt. Antonelli's character is strangely lifeless, as is his love interest, Marissa. Neither the courtroom scenes nor the twist at the end can save "The Legacy" from being a run-of-the-mill legal thriller that is not up to Buffa's usually high standards.
Rating:
Summary: A fast-paced legal thriller.
Review: On a dense fog-covered street in San Francisco, United States Senator Jeremy Fullerton has been shot and killed in the front seat of his car. Jamaal Washington, a young, black, medical school student is on the way home from his weekend end job when he comes up on the Fullerton's car, before he knows what's happening Jamaal is running, and then ends up in the hospital as "the" suspect in the senator's murder. Nobody wants to touch this case because of it's explosive nature, but that is exact reason why Joseph Antonelli decides to leave his home in Portland and head to San Francisco to be Jamaal's defense lawyer. The evidence in this case is overwhelming; the police can place Jamaal at the crime, he had the murder weapon in his hand, he ran when the police tried to question him, and he threatened to shoot when the police tried to restrain him. Antonelli knows something about this case isn't right, and the deeper he dives into the evidence, and the Senator's back-round he begins to unravel a frightening cover-up that starts a chain of violence where the last man standing is the man willing to stab you in the back. The odds are against Antonelli, for the only way he can win this case is to become like Senator Fullerton; a liar and a deceiver. 'The Legacy' is another CAN'T-PUT-IT-DOWN page-turner from best-selling author D.W. Buffa. Mr. Buffa introduced us to Joseph Antonelli in his previous novel 'The Judgment', and here he returns in a new legal thriller that is well-written, original, and very entertaining. The plot starts moving from page one and barrels ahead like a roller coaster full of twists and turns, surprises, and a courtroom showdown where all the secrets come out. If your looking for a great beach read 'The Legacy' is it! There's no doubt this novel will be one of the summer's hottest reads further proving D.W. Buffa a master of the legal thriller. Nick Gonnella
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